New active lifestyle restaurant CoreLife Eatery coming to Portage

PORTAGE, MI -- An active lifestyle restaurant is set to open on South Westnedge Avenue in space that recently housed a Pizza Hut restaurant.

CoreLife Eatery is expected to open this fall at 6300 S. Westnedge Ave. in Portage. That is in front of the Southland Mall.

It will be part of a growing, 14-restaurant chain that specializes in offering a variety of greens, grains and broth-based dishes, with a focus on wellness.

A statement on CoreLife Eatery's website describes the restaurants as places that seek out the best foods available, prepare those foods on site "instead of having a truck deliver pre-prepared foods full of all kinds of who-knows what"; greens and grains are topped with dressings of whole carrots and fresh herbs; bone broth and vegetable broth are made and simmered every night; and grass-fed steak, all-natural chicken and fresh tofu are grilled where customers can see it done.

Based in Syracuse, N.Y., and started in May of 2015, the restaurant chain anticipates rapid expansion. It hopes to grow to 300 locations nationwide during the next five years, including corporate and franchise restaurants.

The Portage franchise will be operated by Joyce Lunsford, who is an experienced restaurateur who has been involved with quick-service eateries for many years, according to information provided by CoreLife. She owns nearly 50 franchise restaurants, including Pizza Hut, Sonic and Moe's Southwest Grill.

She opened her first CoreLife Eatery location in Grandville in June. And, per agreement with the company, will spearhead the opening of up to 51 more CoreLife locations in the Midwest over the next eight years.

"Ms. Lunsford has a long history of tremendous success within the restaurant world," Aric Phinney, franchise administrator for CoreLife Eatery, stated in the press release. "She is one of the best franchisees/owner-operators in the country and we're thrilled to continue growing our brand together."

The restaurant group's 14 locations are in New York state, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Utah and Michigan. The lone Michigan location thus far is at 3158 44th St. in Grandville, just outside of the Rivertown Crossings Plaza.

This summer, the group expects to open locations in Peoria, Ill., Lexington, Ky., Toledo, Ohio, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and Clarence, N.Y. Before the end of this year, it expects to open locations in: Indianapolis, Ind.; Brighton, N.Y.; Bountiful, Utah; Centerville, Ohio; Hyde Park, Ohio; Fayetteville, N.C.; Amherst, N.Y.; and Portage.

Lawrence Wilson, an entrepreneur and owner of 22 Moe's Southwest Grill restaurants, is chairman and chief executive officer of CoreLife Eatery. Scott Davis, former executive vice president and chief concept and innovation officer at Panera Bread, is its president and chief concept officer.